FULL GAME NOTES (PDF)

BULLDOGS TO TAKE ON DEFENDING CHAMPS AT GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Samford Softball continues its conference season this weekend with a three-game series against the defending conference champions, the Georgia Southern Eagles.  Action in Statesboro, Ga., begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m. ET (EDIT: DUE TO SATURDAY'S BLUE AND WHITE FOOTBALL SPRING GAME, OUR DOUBLEHEADER HAS BEEN MOVED TO 3:30 P.M. ET) and concludes with a single game on Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m. ET.

OPPONENT SCOUTING REPORT
Georgia Southern (20-23, 6-5 SoCon) - The Eagles return 15 letterwinners from last season's SoCon Championship squad, including SoCon Pitcher of the Year Sarah Purvis.  The junior holds a 9-11 record this season with a 2.50 ERA, including a perfect game on Feb. 15 against Southern Illinois.  The offense is struggling as a whole, batting .224, led by junior Shelby Morrill hitting .349 with a team-leading 44 hits and 11 doubles.  Junior Kourtny Thomas is tied for second in the SoCon with 10 home runs while senior Tabby Douberley leads the team with 29 RBI.

ALL-TIME VERSUS GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Samford and Georgia Southern have met a total of 30 times, with the Eagles winning 21 of those contests.  Fourteen of those games have been as members of the SoCon, with Georgia Southern winning 10 of them.  Samford's last win in the series came in the final game of the 2011 series, an 11-10 extra-inning win in Statesboro, Ga.

NO ROAD WOES IN CONFERENCE PLAY
Over two conference road series and two conference home series, the Bulldogs have been as formidable, if not more so, on the road.  Fourteen of the team's 26 conference RBI have come on the road, as have five of their nine doubles and all six of their home runs.  Increased plate discipline is evident as well, with 11 of their 19 walks during SoCon games coming on the road.

BULLDOGS HOLDING STEADY ON DEFENSE
Samford has been consistently near the top of the conference in defensive stats all season and remain so through 35 games.  The Bulldogs have committed the fewest errors in the conference with 39, while the conference average rests just below 49.  Samford is tied for third with UNCG in fielding percentage at .961, only trailing Georgia Southern (.966) and Furman (.965).

'DOGS FALL IN TWO ROUGH GAMES AT WKU
Samford traveled to Western Kentucky Wednesday for a midweek doubleheader, falling in two rough run-rule outings as the Lady Toppers won 8-0 and 10-0.
 
Samford (11-24) would only muster a combined five hits over the two games while the pitching struggled to limit Western Kentucky (22-13) scoring rallies.

In game one, the Samford offense struggled against the pitching of Emily Rousseau (12-5), as she threw 6.0 shutout innings allowing only one hit with a big sixth inning by the Lady Topper offense giving the home team the 8-0 run rule victory.  Caitlin Bice (0-4) started for the Bulldogs, taking the loss after allowing a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth for the first runs of the game.

Western Kentucky continued in game two where they left off in game one, riding a good outing by Mallorie Sulaski (6-6) in the circle and a few big innings as they shutout the Bulldogs, 10-0, in five innings.  Shelby Scott (2-8) threw the opening 2.0 innings, allowing five runs, two earned, in the loss.

WEEKEND WEATHER OUTLOOK
Statesboro, Ga.
Saturday, April 13
High: 81, Low: 49 - Partly Cloudy
Sunday, April 14
High: 80, Low: 56 - Mostly Cloudy

UP NEXT
Samford is set to open its brand new Samford Softball Stadium on Tuesday, April 16 facing the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 6 p.m. CT.